Melby make their fifth appearance on Beehive Candy with the new song 'Common Sense'. Whether it's indie pop, rock, psych or folk Melby have the knack for creating superbly crafted music the latest single being no exception, it's another beauty from the Stockholm four piece band. ===== Classic Water have released a live version of their song 'Carthage' today. We have including the live and studio original as both versions are beautiful. I guess the easiest description for the song is indie folk however part of me feels it's more than that, whatever the case just enjoy this lovely track.
Stockholm four-piece Melby have constantly been growing since their debut with catchy single 'Human' in 2016. Last year, the band took their biggest step yet with the acclaimed debut record 'None of this makes me worry' which was followed by tour dates all over Europe. The band returned earlier this year with fittingly named single 'Things I Do When I'm Alone' and are now following up with new psychedelic pop single ‘Common Sense’.
The band often gets compared to fellow Swedes Dungen and Amason but Melby’s dynamic sound, with influences from folk, psych, indie and pop, stand out. The quartet's light, semi-psychedelic folk pop is led by Matilda Wiezell’s enchanting voice which fits perfectly with Melby’s unique musical landscape - a sound that's been called "otherworldly, and wholly brilliant" by The Line of Best Fit. The band consists of Wiezell, Are Engen Steinsholm (guitar), David Jehrlander (bass) and Teo Jernkvist (drums) and formed while living together in a Stockholm shared housing.
Common Sense is a new step as well as a development of the sound of Melby's debut, building a dreamy, psych-pop atmosphere and drawing on the more melancholy folk inspired sides that were showcased on None of this makes me worry, without losing the playfulness and sense of melody that always have been a big part of the band's sound.
Melby on the track: “During lockdown we started making music in a new way, recording demos at home and sending them back and forth to each other. Common sense was created like this, and we wanted to keep the strange and messy vibe of the original home recording. We are kind of modest people, so our version of weird and messy might not be the most weird and messy you’ve ever heard, but still. I think it’s got a bit of an edge to it?”
Classic Water - Carthage (Live & Studio versions).
Carthage is inspired by the story of the fall of the city of the same name, and by the Roman general who stood weeping outside the city as his soldiers burned it to the ground. He knew that at some point in the future, Rome had to fall as well. The song draws a parallel between the rise and fall of civilizations and the rise and fall of human relationships.
The songs of Classic Water bring to mind driving through dusty back roads of deserted villages, thinking back on what once was but will never be again. The surreal words of singer Tom Gerritsen are guided by stretches of intertwining melodies, alternated with brief bursts of rock and roll.
In an earlier life, Tom released folk music as The T.S. Eliot Appreciation Society, playing over 180 shows in Europe. Seeing Classic Water perform live is a visceral experience. The debut album Concrete Pleasures was recorded and produced by Stacy Parrish (T Bone Burnett, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant) in a 14th century farmhouse in Sweden.
Royal Horses shared 'A Modern Man's Way to Improve' a few day's ago and it's a really fine song from the South Mississippi trio. The bands desire to bend genre norms results in some fabulous music, the featured song being no exception as it mixes potent southern rock with impassioned vocals. ===== Mackenzie Leigh Meyer recently released the song 'Before You'. The Canadian multi instrumentalist country-roots singer has already received some well deserved attention and this song helps explain why, as the melodic arrangement, natural and heartfelt vocals collectively ensure the hooks dig in deep.
“A Modern Man's Way to Improve is a genre bending love letter to the sounds that shaped the new South and us along with it.” - Royal Horses
Forged deep in the Piney Woods of South Mississippi, Royal Horses embodies the very best of what the region has to offer.
Featuring lyric-driven melodies that pay respect to the musical genres that helped shape the New South, including 70's rock, early blues, rockabilly, and folk, Royal Horses has managed to create a name for themselves the old-fashioned way – one high-energy performance at a time.
The trio often bends genre norms while blazing a new path for themselves in modern music. The result is a gritty, yet powerfully-unique sound built on the strength of an undeniable musical chemistry. The band's debut record, A Modern Man's Way to Improve, was selected as an official release for Record Store Day 2020 and is now streaming on all platforms.
Hailing from Hamilton ON, CA the 26 year old multi-instrumentalist country-roots singer has come a long way from her humble beginnings of community theatre and songwriting on the family piano. Emerging into the country music scene with her May 2018 release of debut EP “Dive Bar Diva”, Meyer is already getting praise for her unique style and enchanting vocals from industry professionals and country music fans alike.
With her song “Your Company” featured on ET Canada and more than 182,000 views on her YouTube, it’s no shocker that renowned producer Ken Scott (David Bowie, Supertramp) exclaimed “ Watch out Carrie Underwood” after working with Meyer on EP country-rock ballad “Should Have Known”.
Produced by Jeff Dalziel (2019 CCMA Producer of the Year) and written by Mackenzie, the heartfelt love ballad was a first-day-add to Spotify’s “Live Country” playlist and currently sits at the #10 position on Amazon’s “Breakthrough Country” playlist.
The track is a showcase of Meyer’s poetic and authentic storytelling paired with her unique sound and enchanting vocals.
“This song is my take on finding your soulmate” Meyer shares, “When you’re with the right person, they make everything better without seemingly doing anything, at least that’s been my experience. It’s not about the grand gestures. Love is in the little things”
“Before You” follows the heat of her debut EP Dive Bar Diva, which landed her a nomination for CMA Ontario “Roots Artist of the Year” in 2019.
Departure Lounge new song 'Mercury In Retrograde' is a melodic affair, the musicianship is glorious and vies for attention with the softly delivered vocals, the only challenge is trying to pin it into any specific genre. ===== Glaswegian band The Ninth Wave new track 'Everything Will Be Fine' is now out. The bands mixture of indie pop and rock is dynamic and powerful, the vocals and harmonies add emotion on what is a hook filled piece. ===== It's been a while since we last featured The School Book Depository they have been consistently impressive and the new song 'Sunny Disposition' sees their gorgeous style of Americana once again impact wonderfully.
"Mercury In Retrograde refers to the phenomenon whereby the planet Mercury appears, for a period of time, to be travelling backwards in the sky in relation to Earth. This happens a few times a year and is, according to astrological lore, responsible for all kinds of chaos, confusion and frustration in our lives here on the blue planet.
So that’s where the song title comes from and the lyrics document a period in a relationship when the protagonist is perhaps feeling the effects of this supposedly illusory occurrence.
Mercury in Retrograde is the only complete song we already had when Departure Lounge reunited recently to make the Transmeridian album. It had been a live staple in our first operative period around the turn of the century, but slipped through the net when it came to recording. At the reunion gigs, several people said it had always been their favourite and it still sounded fresh.
Musically, Mercury In Retrograde is a bit of an oddball, with a slow-picked acoustic guitar reminiscent of ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ offset by a Roni Size-esque drum ‘n bass groove played with brushes and double bass, accompanied by a slightly wonky Casio CZ101 nursery rhyme synth line. I’m making it sound like a car crash, but somehow it works. The way these apparently disparate elements fit together makes for a good analogy of how our band works and its celebratory chorus has proved to be a stubborn earworm."
The Ninth Wave - Everything Will Be Fine.Glaswegian band The Ninth Wave just released their new single "Everything Will Be Fine", the first new music to be heard since the band's Faris Badwan (The Horrors)-produced EP ‘Happy Days!’ and their AIM Award and Scottish Album of the Year-nominated debut album Infancy.
"Everything Will Be Fine" is a portent mantra to shout from the rooftops amidst some of the most confusing and unsettling times our generation has faced. Brimming with prudent positivity, the track is a product of the last 6 months the band have spent together in Glasgow.
It's immediately apparent that The Ninth Wave are moving into exciting new territory with "Everything Will Be Fine". An invigorating dose of dark emotive pop; there's a new air of confidence in the music the band are making. Not only is that confidence evident in their songwriting and production (they're currently self-producing much of their new material) – but also in the conviction of their lyrics.
"It’s a song about twisted optimism, self-reassurance and hope," singer Haydn Park-Patterson explains. "The overall message of the song seems fitting for the world that we’ve found ourselves in now. Like many of our songs, it has existed in various different incarnations. I wrote the first version of it in the summer of last year and it was originally intended to be a song for someone else’s comfort and reassurance. It was shelved until earlier this year, when I stripped it down and kept only the name of the song. It then became the twisted optimistic song that it is now after it was brought in, stripped down and rebuilt by us in the studio. It’s the happiest sounding song we’ve recorded."
The new single arrives alongside an almost 10-minute long extended 'Driving Version' of the track, which the band says: "was intended to be listened to when you’re driving alone in your car, imagining yourself in that sad but sweet scene in a movie when you’re the heartbroken but hopeful character driving off into the sunset to find yourself".
The band's new material promises to be more upfront and honest than ever before. Celebrating honesty and real life, The Ninth Wave want their listeners to find comfort in their music. They want their fans to feel safe; to be confident in who they are, and to know they're not alone with their feelings and anxieties.
“It’s a cathartic thing for both us and the listeners; we want to help with normalising being emotional and finding comfort within your sadness", the band went on to say.
With limited resources, isolation and continuing the self production they first began toying with on their 'Happy Days!' EP, "Everything Will Be Fine" is the first taste of the band's second album - due for release in 2021.
This is a beautiful gem of an Americana-song, both punkish rebellious and bittersweet melancholic in its expression. Helena Lindsten’s fantastic voice effortlessly turns from soft and fragile to explosive with brutally honest and heartfelt passion that brings both Phoebe Bridges and Courtney Love to mind.
But behind this cheerful and sunny title we find an ironical orgy of frustration, boredom, angst and shortcomings that intentionally balances between tragedy and comedy. The narrator stacks low points in li life on top of each other, from job related boredom, rejection, broken collarbone and dishonorable discharge from the military, to being deprived of the fundamental right to dwell in your misfortunes in an imaginary canyon in the company of alcoholic beverages.
”If there was one, I’d be in the canyon, searching for answers in the bottle, if just not so, seems I forgot my opener at home, once again forgot to make a list."
With the album ”No depression”, the band Uncle Tupelo gave name to a new genre called ”No depression-country”. With that in mind, it might be time to add a new genre to the list?
Luckily this song, seen in its entirety, depicts the human ability to see humor in tragedy and the comical irony of life.And that is a cheerful thought is’t it? - Fredrik Solfors
Crawford Mack has shared a new video for 'Turning' a song that's taken from his recent album '‘Bread & Circuses'. We had the pleasure of featuring three other tracks from this exceptional album and 'Turning' is another example from this talented and highly engaging contemporary artist. ===== Oracle Sisters have shared 'The Dandelion' along with a video for the song. The Parisian trio have something of a timeless feel musically and have developed some atmospheric, melodic and dreamy music with this gorgeous piece. ===== Owen Meany’s Batting Stance was featured a couple of months or so back and his new video for 'Krakow' is a beautiful accompaniment for this moving and sublime song.
Glaswegian songwriter Crawford Mack performs with a sense of purpose and ardour in new video ‘Turning’. An ode to the legacy that people leave through their art, the new track is taken from his recently released debut album ‘Bread & Circuses’.
‘Turning’ exhibits Crawford’s diverse pallet, taking influence from his original jazz background, through to rock and classical, which he holds together with his singer-songwriter soul. Crawford comments “I wrote the track initially about being reminded of a former partner every time I hear certain music, so I flipped the roles and wondered aloud whether it was the same for her.
This track is part of my debut album 'Bread & Circuses'. It was initially inspired from messing around in Nick Drake's CGCFCE guitar tuning and trying to fit in a cello and clarinet line I'd picked up from Mozart Requiem. The guest Clarinet and Bass Clarinet feature is from Gustavo Clayton-Marucci.”
Directed and Animated by Alex Uragallo, the new abstract visual opens with a record spinning, which flourishes into everyday objects; a cleverly crafted metaphor capturing the idea that music evokes nostalgic memories. During the instrumentals of the track, colourful textured motifs created by Giulia Carisi encapsulates psychedelic-like sensations.
Of his new video, Crawford says “I got in touch with Alex Uragallo who is an animator I know from my time at college to ask whether he was interested in making a video that could use everyday objects to explore a theme of being reminded of someone every day when a song plays. Alex suggested collaborating with visual artist Giulia Carisi, to create colourful visual motifs that could be attached to the different instrumental lines, the motifs are inspired by her synesthesia when she hears the track.”
Recorded in Antwerp, the Crawford’s debut full-length ‘Bread and Circuses’ consists of ten tracks in which in his words “hopes will illustrate the conviction of an individual confronting their internal struggles, wrestling them to the ground but all the while waving a white flag of surrender.”
Parisian trio Oracle Sisters have shared ‘The Dandelion’, their new single and first taste of upcoming EP ‘Paris II’. The accompanying video, directed by Celia Marie and lead guitarist Lewis Lazar, is shot on double 8mm and takes the viewer through the personification of Paris. With the band as your beatnik tour guides, the video explores the gothic moods and noire spirit of the city.
Over the past twelve months, Oracle Sisters have built up a loyal and global following, blurring the lines between music and visual arts. Support for their music has come from NME, The Line Of Best Fit, W Magazine, Vanity Fair, Beats1, COLORS, BBC 6 Music, and more. This culminated in the critically acclaimed release of Paris I, mid-way through 2020.
Now, Oracle Sisters turn their attention to its sequel, their next EP ‘Paris II’ (due for release Spring 2021) with ‘The Dandelion’ the first taste of this new music. The track continues Oracle Sisters’ journey as musical auteurs that combine elements of rock, psychedelia, soul & disco into a sound that is truly their own. Speaking on the track, the band say, “the song is inspired by Chet Baker’s singing with a sort of disco back beat behind it”. Oracle Sisters’ influences are broad but also unconventional, and it’s this ability to dip into every musical style that sets them apart from their contemporaries.
With members hailing from across Europe, the band are uninhibited in their influences, finding inspiration within the art, cinema, philosophy, and music of the world over; resulting in a sound that is both sonically sophisticated and warmly familiar. Lyrically, they explore timeless narratives of love, mysticism and spirituality, scattered with intriguing insights into their own personal lives and experiences resulting in songs that are cryptic yet paradoxically familiar.
Oracle Sisters have been working hard in Greece currently finishing off their debut album. Along the road, they’ve also played impromptu shows on the island of Hydra with friends from The Murder Capital & Fontaines D.C – capturing the troubadour spirit of the band.
Operating under the moniker Owen Meany’s Batting Stance, Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Walker is still exploring the expanses of human emotion following the release of his debut LP, Feather Weights.
For Daniel, creating Feather Weights was a pursuit of catharsis – trying to understand his personal experiences. After delivering his self-titled EP and doing rounds of the live circuit, he collated eight thoughtful, singularly voiced stories, all recorded above a fishmonger’s shop in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The latest addition to the Feather Weights narrative is a visual aid for the emotionally charged number, Krakow. The track itself is a reflection of loneliness and absence accompanied with lulling guitar and soft vocals. Written during the final days of an overseas tour in Europe, Daniel contemplates spending Thanksgiving alone, being surrounded by unfamiliar faces and missing important life events all whilst fulfilling his life’s passion.
Directed by Nicole Cecile Holland, the video manifests this separation, following a solitary Daniel traipsing desolate, icy wilderness, whilst constantly being haunted by memories of the people he loves despite his attempts to rid himself of them.
No stranger to telling stories, he explains the inspiration for Krakow: “It was Canadian thanksgiving but, as the lone Canadian in the hostel, was spent navigating language barriers rather than family chatter over the dinner table... During the course of the tour, I also missed out on major life events friends and family celebrated. The crux of the song is how pursuing what you love can take you from who you love.”
Natalie Bouloudis returns with her third single 'Coal' taken from her forthcoming E.P. due at the end of January. We have featured Natalie a few times in recent years and have always been impressed with her distinctive and atmospheric music which this time manifests itself in dynamic alt rock form. ===== Today Lauryn Peacock has released 'Coming Over Me Again' and it's a rhythmic indie rock song where the vocals carry the melody on this catchy track. ===== Red Red have shared their new single 'Long Black Train (Feat: Belle Starr)'. Energized blues rock and fabulously natural vocals and harmonies make this a hook filled piece. ===== Zurich-based, New-York-raised Jonas Blumer aka Safe Upstairs has just released 'Everything Went Away' which is a gritty and addictive song, his vocals and incredible lyrics are highly engaging. ===== The Mahones lates album is self explanatory enough, it's titled 'This Is All We’ve Got To Show For It – The Best of 30 Years'. Lovers of Irish punk and Celtic rock are probably familiar with the band, if not dive in, it's streaming in full below and an absolute joy to listen to.
‘I never noticed the stars before, I always thought of them as great big diamonds that belonged to someone. Now they frighten me. They make me feel that it was all a dream... a form of chemical madness.’ - FS Fitzgerald, The Diamond as Big as the Ritz
Gutsy folk-noir singer-songwriter Natalie Bouloudis returns with her evocative new single Coal, musing on the unravelling of a relationship, through the shimmering lyrical metaphor of diamonds and coal, colliding in a stormy soundworld. Emerging from a sea of haunting reverb and fuzzy blues tones, Coal channels Is This Desire? era PJ Harvey, the cinematic punch of Weyes Blood's The Innocents, and the poeticism of Karen Dalton, whilst also offering Bouloudis’ own unique handling of beauty emerging from the darkness.
Bouloudis sings of hard lessons learnt, soaring from vulnerable to vengeful in tone, through a dramatic gale of gritty guitar arpeggios, brooding rhythms and biting violin. “It’s that moment when reverie dissolves into a nightmare and something which once felt so precious becomes painfully worthless,” she says, reminding us diamonds might be forever but you can't expect the same level of permanence when it comes to matters of the heart.
Coal is the third single to be released from the forthcoming EP Devil Is Doubt, due to be released on 29 January 2021.
Lauryn Peacock announces her first single in five years, “Coming Over Me Again.” Due out December 4, the single elicits phantom memories that resurrect the carefree spirit of youth. The standalone single’s uplifting beat and soaring melodies reintroduce Peacock as an artist ready to fly as she prepares for the release of her upcoming album in 2021.
Peacock wrote the song during the height of quarantine. She says, “All the time alone left me able to think, to really dig into some great memories. At times, they felt embodied, like I was being visited.” An intentional 90s production style captures the hint of nostalgia with vocals tucked into the music in a way that makes you want to turn the song up and up.
The song was recorded in the space where Alabama Shakes created their breakthrough effort. Peacock enlisted co-producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Josephine Foster) and a backing band to include guitarist John James Tourville of The Deslondes, bassist Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather fame, Molly Parden (Andrew Combs, Faye Webster, Liza Anne), and Meg Coleman, known for her other-worldly drum sound.
Lauryn Peacock rounds out the classical training in piano that reaches back into the beginnings of her childhood with 18 years of ballet and French. She toured the East Coast playing synth and organ for Philadelphia’s mewithoutYou and had the opportunity to play with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy during two house concerts for charity. On her first records she worked with co-producer Daniel Smith (Sufjan Stevens, Danielson Family) as well as collaborated with Denison Witmer (Asthmatic Kitty Records) and composer Joshua Stamper (Sufjan Stevens collaborator, National Endowment for the Arts, MacDowell Fellow). This all contributes to WXPN proclaiming: “Lauryn Peacock has the range of a musician who’s been playing her whole life.”
Coming from the crossroads of Europe, Red Red(USA/BE) is an unlikely cross-pollination between psychedelia, 70s guitar rock, blues and hip-hop turntablism.
Led by an ethnomusicologist and multi-instrumentalist from Ohio, Red Red is formed from the finest musicians from the Belgian roots, blues, and jazz music scenes.
Turntablist DJ Courtasock fills out the lineup, adding layers of sampled sounds from all over the world. Long Black Train, their first single for the NAKED label, puts all of Red Red’s influences together into a sound that is both completely new but still has something for fans of The Black Keys, Howlin’Wolf, Urban Dance Squad and Led Zeppelin. The B-side, the American roots traditional In The Pines, turns the song on its head with sounds and rhythms from North and West Africa.
There's an incredible coolness in Safe Upstairs' new single 'Everything Went Away'.
It's been recorded by Zurich-based, New-York-raised Jonas Blumer: He's the man behind Safe Upstairs. After gaining a lot of attention with his former singles in spring, he now sings about severe topics.
Or to say it in Safe Upstairs's own words: "There are always more than enough reasons to be sad and depressed. Sometimes you just have to be able to press pause end enjoy a couple of minutes without questioning the decisions you made in the past. They were probably all wrong. But that's ok. You will always have your memories of the good old times, as you might call them".
All tracks have been created in Safe Upstairs' own home recording studios.
The Mahones - This Is All We’ve Got To Show For It – The Best of 30 Years.
The Mahones are a Canadian Irish-punk band, formed in 1990 by Dublin-born Finny McConnell, as a one-off band for a St. Patrick's Day party. Encouraged by a positive reception, McConnell decided to pursue the band full-time. The Mahones have released thirteen albums to date with their most recent, Love, Death, & Redemption, being released in 2018.
The Mahones’ music has appeared in several major films. They co-wrote and recorded the title track for the 1996 film Celtic Pride. Their song "100 Bucks" was featured in the 1998 film Dog Park. Their song "Paint The Town Red 2010" was featured in the climactic final fight scene of the 2010 film The Fighter. Their song "A Little Bit of Love" is in the 2011 film Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy.
Heralded as pioneers of the Irish punk scene, beloved six-piece outfit The Mahones, have announced a special 30th Anniversary retrospective, This Is All We’ve Got To Show For It – The Best of 30 Years to be released via True North Records today December 4, 2020.
This comprehensive retrospective captures many special moments with surprise guests on intimate stages over the decades.
